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e-Journal of Business Education & Scholarship of Teaching

Vol. 9, Iss. 2, 2015, pp: 13-27. ”http://www.ejbest.org”

Aligning Business and Education: 21st Century Skill Preparation

Charles L. Campbell Jr. #

Communications Department

Dixie State University

St. George, UT 84770

campbellc@dixie.edu

(# corresponding author)

Shelley Kresyman

Faculty, School of Advanced Studies

University of Phoenix

Las Vegas, NV 89107

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to explore stakeholder perceptions concerning four key

21st century skills required for graduates to be successful in today’s workplace, and to

report on common themes surrounding how a post-secondary school in the Southwest

United States is preparing graduates with predominant 21st Century skills:

interpersonal communication, critical thinking, information literacy, and adroit writing.

A qualitative exploratory case study was employed. Semi-structured interviews were

conducted with 14 local employers who hire graduates, and 14 faculty members and

14 administrators from the research site. Data were coded and analyzed for common

themes with the support of NVivo qualitative software. Overall, the three participant

strata group stakeholders indicated that the research site is not doing very well

integrating the predominant four 21st Century skills into curricula. Interpersonal

communication was rated as the highest skill evident in graduates, followed by critical

thinking, information literacy, and the skill needing the most improvement, adroit

writing.

Keywords: business education; 21st century business skills.

JEL Classification: I21 PsycINFO Classification: 3550 FoR Code: 1302; 1503 ERA Journal ID#: 35696

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Introduction

Government and business leaders are calling for reform across all academic levels

especially in the collegiate arena where the greatest misalignment exists between 21st

Century employer needs and university deliverables (Daggett, 2005). As business

enterprises, post-secondary academic institutions have social and economic

responsibilities to respective local, state, and national business communities to

prepare graduates with contemporary skills needed to become productive members of

society (Lehmann, 2009). The need to determine if colleges and universities are

teaching and refining students with the 21st Century skills employers are demanding

is imperative (Harvard, 2011; Palmer, Scribner & Zajonc, 2010).

Bushaw and Lopez (2012) found that less than 10% of high school dropouts and less

than 20% of high school graduates possess 21st Century skills needed to succeed in

the modern workforce. Additionally, less than 33% of high school graduates have

skills necessary to enter post-secondary academic programs (Bushaw & Lopez, 2012).

Americans view college graduation as the principle benchmark for workforce readiness

but only 54% agreed college graduates understand and retain 21st Century skills

sought after by contemporary employers (Bushaw & Lopez, 2012).

In the United States, the post-secondary educational system is in an alarming, yet

silent and misaligned state of panic (Friedman, 2005). Panic in secondary educational

institutions has resulted in uncaring and frustrated students, decentralized curriculum

and teaching pedagogies, frustrated employers seeking graduates with 21st Century

skills, and a decrease in financial support from taxpayers and philanthropic groups

(Friedman, 2005). A primary area of reform involves whether or not students

entering the 21st Century workforce comprehend what is required and can implement

the 21st Century skills needed to flourish in the contemporary workplace (Trilling &

Fadel, 2012).

Literature Review

Preparing for a career in the 21st Century workplace involves more than the

completion of a particular post-secondary degree (Correll, 2001). Students’

understanding about available career paths and specific skills desired by contemporary

employers should be developed during the college years (Magnuson & Starr, 2000).

Post-secondary academic institutions are at least partly responsible for future success

rates of graduates, as students form perceptions of the 21st Century labor market and

career goals during the college years (Magnuson & Starr, 2000).

Post-secondary education systems operate under a business model, which has not

adapted to contemporary employment realities, concerns, and business needs

(Bookman, 2010).

Institutions of higher learning have been slow to change and keep up with

contemporary needs of the workforce (Palmer, Scribner & Zajonc, 2010). One of the

greatest challenges for modern business management is finding and retaining qualified

individuals with the 21st Century skills needed to achieve stated business goals

(Kezar, 2009). A crucial element for business and educational leaders should be to

align workplace needs with higher education preparation systems to promote student

success in a career after graduation, rather than simply focusing on traditional

academic achievements or grades (Harvard 2011).

Attending college and becoming career-ready often requires more from students than

simply performing well academically (ACTE, 2014). Problem and design-based

teaching methods align with individual propensities 21st Century employers are

seeking (Lehmann, 2009). Cohort designed programs focusing on problem-based

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experiential learning assist students with developing content knowledge in harmony

with authentic, real-world problems and questions students might experience in the

professional arena (Lehmann, 2009). Employability should be sustainable (Watts,

2006).

Sustainable employability refers not only to the development of skills, which would

enhance opportunities when job hunting but also concerns acquiring skills to sustain

employment for the long-term, or to transition into new opportunities as needed

(Watts, 2006). Critics accuse post-secondary faculty members of teaching the same

classes in the same manner with the same materials used for decades with no

upgrades in curriculum, delivery methods, or learning objectives that align with

changes in the workplace (Pietka, 2007). In short, students do not have skills needed

for the modern workplace (Pietka, 2007). If 21st Century post-secondary schools are

going to attract and retain quality learners, faculty must participate in workshops

regarding how to connect with technology-driven students (Pietka, 2007).

These activities along with campus-wide efforts focusing on the integration of laptops,

smart-phones, and other personal technology devices may place students at odds with

faculty in the classroom (Pietka, 2007). Post-secondary educational institutions

should consider the needs of the 21st Century world of business because success or

failure of graduates is a direct reflection of the training and preparedness of the school

(Taylor, 2010). If today’s higher learning institutions were placing the requisites of

graduates at the forefront of instructional practices, a majority of the frustrations

caused by misalignment between employers, schools, and students would not exist.

The future of the American workforce is lacking in 21st Century skills demanded by

the modern global workforce (Casner-Lotto & Benner, 2006). Current literature

identifies four highly sought after skills for the contemporary workplace including

interpersonal communication, critical thinking, information literacy, and adroit writing.

Given the pressures for academic reform from modern employers, students,

government officials, and private and public scholarship foundations, the need to

examine frontline academic stakeholder perceptions regarding the definition and

classroom integration levels of the 21st Century skills should reveal prudent courses of

action to address the problem (Taylor, 2010).

Global economies have shifted priorities in proficiencies needed by employees in the

21st Century (Gardner, 2011; Trilling & Fadel, 2012; Wagner, 2008). The Partnership

for 21st Century Skills (P21), a collaborative created by a consortium of business

leaders, (including Fortune 500 firms including Apple, Ford, Microsoft, Texas

Instruments, and Verizon), departments of education, and research organizations was

an initiative to develop a framework for secondary and post-secondary students to be

prepared for success in the 21st century workplace (Trilling & Fadel, 2012). According

to the consortium research, critical thinking and problem solving, information/digital

literacy, communication and collaboration, and creativity and innovation were

identified as groups of skills modern employers seek in graduates entering the

workforce (Trilling & Fadel, 2012). Following an extensive review of the literature

provided by the consortium, four of these skills were repetitively identified as key

skills highly sought after by contemporary employers: interpersonal communication,

critical thinking, information literacy, and adroit writing (Partnership, 2014; Trilling &

Fadel, 2012).

Critical thinking is a way of distinguishing significant elements from insignificant data

(Browne & Keeley, 1986). A critical thinker scrutinizes assumptions, detects hidden

values, evaluates evidence, assesses conclusions, identifies fallacies, explores

problems, asks pertinent questions, creates effective solutions, and justifies actions

(Petress, 2004). If students are to become critical thinkers educators should provide

opportunities for learners to express different views and to work through independent

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thinking, deciphering how the views of others fit in with personal opinions (Paul,

2001).

Information literacy involves the capacity to find and appropriately apply validated and

useful evidence, a 21st Century skill that is vital to modern employers (Latham &

Gross, 2013). Contemporary information literacy requires using the Internet

effectively to manage, access, and discern information with technology (Shana &

Ishtaiwa, 2013).

Interpersonal communication is a dynamic form of communication, between two or

more individuals, where the message influences thoughts, emotions, behaviors and

relationships (McCornack, 2010). Individuals employing efficient interpersonal

communication abilities are not only aware of family, friend, work and romantic

relationship types; but can also apply competent listening, cultural sensitivity,

emotional intelligent and conflict management styles across all kinds of human

associations (DeVito, 2009).

Adroit writing surrounds the aptitude to transcribe language into written forms with

few or no errors in spelling, grammar, syntax, flow, structure, or meaning relating to a

specific topic (Mascle, 2013). A primary goal of secondary and post-secondary

academic institutions is to prepare leaners with fundamental scripting blocks, which

would transfer later into the writing needs of 21st Century employers (Mascle, 2013).

Some of the most important adroit writing implications modern employers seek

include data organization, stakeholder relationships, creativity, planning, reporting,

emotional intelligence, and ethics (Mascle, 2013).

Method

The purpose of the exploratory case study was to uncover stakeholder perceptions

concerning four key 21st century skills required for graduates to be successful in

today’s workplace, and to report on common themes surrounding how a post-

secondary school in the southwest United States is preparing graduates with

predominant 21st Century skills: interpersonal communication, critical thinking,

information literacy, and adroit writing. An exploratory case study design was used to

uncover common themes surrounding the central research question. Data collection

occurred during individual semi-structured interviews using open-ended interview

questions (Merriam, 2009; Shank, 2006; Yin, 2003). The study addressed the

primary research question: How is a post-secondary educational institution in the

southwest region of the United States preparing graduates with the top four 21st

Century skills needed to succeed in the contemporary business world?

The research site was a four-year university in the southwest region of the United

States. Three strata groups served as study participants: (1) local employers who

hired research site graduates in the past five years (2) faculty members, and (3)

administrators from the research site. Random sampling was utilized to select

individual participants belonging to the larger strata populations. Lists of university

faculty and administration were obtained from the research site and lists of local

employers who hired graduates were obtained from the Office of Graduate Support.

All three lists were edited so that none of the participants were former students,

supervisors, or friends of the researcher to prevent conflict of interest or bias

(Bryman, 2012). Members of each strata group (20 employers, 25 administrators, 40

faculty) were assigned a numerical value and each list was randomly sorted via

Microsoft Excel functions, aligning with the operational premise of random sampling in

qualitative studies (Bryman, 2012).

Following study email invitations and participant written consent, 42 semi-structured

interviews took place over a 60 day period. Participants included 14 members from

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each strata group. Delivering open-ended interview questions to multiple random

sample strata groups provided converging lines of inquiry, yielding rich, more accurate

conclusions (Yin, 2009). Field study questions were delivered during the first five

interviews of each participant strata group involved in this study (Yin, 2009). The

purpose of the field study was to validate the credibility of the interview questions.

The first five randomly selected subjects from each strata group read through the

interview questions and answered two field test inquiries pertaining to the clarity of

the interview questions and the alignment with the study purpose and primary

research question (Merriam, 2009; Shank, 2006; Yin, 2009). Field study participants

were treated in the same manner as other study participants in regards to human

right and protection protocols. An advantage of field testing in an exploratory case

study design is that it allows the field test participants to be included in the main

subject groups if the responses to validity questioning are conclusive (Babbie, 2012,

Merriam, 2009, Shank, 2006). All 15 field test participants in the study offered

affirming responses that the interview instrument questions were clear,

understandable and aligned well with the purpose and primary research question of

the study (Cozby, 2009; Yin, 2009).

Responses obtained from 42 open-ended interviews were transcribed, scrubbed and

coded into appropriate nodes utilizing the NVivo qualitative software program for

thematic analysis. Nodes, or thematic bins, were created using key words and

phrases mined from the literature review and aligned with the interview questions.

Data collection and analysis began during the first participant interview, continued

throughout all process venues, and ceased when data saturation occurred. Data

saturation, when no new information pertinent to the study is revealed, (Leedy &

Ormrod, 2009) occurred after 14 subject participants were interviewed from each

strata group. A thorough and exhaustive exploration for common themes surrounding

the primary research question took place. by comparing, contrasting, and performing

regular reviews of audio files, transcribed and scrubbed documents, key words and

phrases used to create nodes in NVivo and the manual coding of data into thematic

bins. In this manner, the rich data obtained from the different strata group interview

responses developed into relevant common themes surrounding the primary research

question of the study. Several common themes directly related to the purpose and

primary research question of this study emerged.

Results

Several common themes related to graduates’ 21st Century skill preparation emerged

from the analyses. In the study, ten interview questions were posed to participants in

three educational stakeholder strata groups including administrators, faculty and local

employers hiring or interviewing research site graduates in the past five years. Odd

numbered interview queries involved participants offering individual understanding of

the four top 21st Century skills explored in the study. Even numbered inquiries posed

to subjects surrounded thoughts and opinions on the integration levels of the

predominant four 21st Century skills at the research site.

The first interview question posed to 14 employer, 14 administrator and 14 faculty

member subject participants involved their perceptions to the meaning of the 21st

Century skill, critical thinking. Responses included the terms analysis (42%),

considering all sides (16%) and thinking outside the box (10%).

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Table 1 Interview Question One - Bar Graph Illustrations

The second interview question posed to all three subject participant groups involved

their perceptions on the level of integration of the 21st Century skill critical thinking in

the classroom at the selected research site (administrators and faculty members) and

practiced by graduates of the site (local employers). Four themes emerged regarding

subjects’ perceptions of critical thinking skills integrated in the classroom, and the

ability for graduates to apply the skill Results included really bad (14%), bad (19%),

good (40%) and really good (5%).

Table 2

Interview Question Two - Bar Graph Illustrations

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The third interview question posed to all three subject participant groups involved

their perceptions to the meaning of the 21st Century skill, information literacy. Three

primary themes emerged including finding (35%), reading (31%) and understanding

and applying information (16%).

Table 3 Interview Question Three - Bar Graph Illustrations

The fourth interview question posed to all three subject participant groups involved

their perceptions on the level of integration of the 21st Century skill information

literacy in the classroom at the selected research site (administrators and faculty

members) and practiced by graduates of the site (local employers). Four themes

emerged including really bad (12%), bad (19%), good (43%) and really good (5%).

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Table 4 Interview Question Four - Bar Graph Illustrations

The fifth interview question posed to all three subject participant groups involved their

perceptions to the meaning of the 21st Century skill, adroit writing. Three themes

emerged including grammar (19%), spelling (14%) and sentence/structure (combined

at 25%).

Table 5 Interview Question Five - Bar Graph Illustrations

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The sixth interview question posed to all three subject participant groups involved

their perceptions on the level of integration of the 21st Century skill adroit writing in

the classroom at the selected research site (administrators and faculty members) and

practiced by graduates of the site (local employers). Four themes regarding subject

perception of information literacy in the classroom and graduates emerged including

really bad (21%), bad (31%), good (33%) and really good (5%).

Table 6

Interview Question Six - Bar Graph Illustrations

The seventh interview question posed to all three subject participant groups involved

their perceptions to the meaning of the 21st Century skill, interpersonal

communications. Three combined themes emerged including communicating and

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expression verbally and non-verbally (combined at 46%), interacting and getting

along within interpersonal relationships (combined at 38%) and listening and

understanding (combined at 13%).

Table 7 Interview Question Seven - Bar Graph Illustrations

The eighth interview question posed to all three subject participant groups involved

their perceptions on the level of integration of the 21st Century skill interpersonal

communication in the classroom at the selected research site (administrators and

faculty members) and practiced by graduates of the site (local employers). Table

eight shows how the three strata groups rated the level of interpersonal

communication at the research site including really bad (17%), bad (31%), good

(17%) and really good (12%).

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Table 8 Interview Question Eight - Bar Graph Illustrations

Conclusions

Several conclusions were evident upon a thorough review of the findings offered in the

study. Overall, the three participant strata group stakeholders indicated that the

research site is not doing very well integrating the predominant four 21st Century

skills into curricula across campus or teaching them within classroom pedagogies.

Faculty members, as stakeholders on the front line of education, rated their own

research site lowest of the three groups. The administrator strata group, arguably

understood as the stakeholders responsible for curricula and field of study decisions

also did not grade their research site in a favorable manner. The third strata group of

employers hiring research site graduates in the past five years, reasoned from a

business perspective as the local customers of the research site, did not rate

graduates of the research site very well regarding application of top four 21st Century

skills. Another conclusion gleaned from subject interviews was that all three research

site stakeholder groups seemed to care about and support the local education of

higher learning that they are either employed by or depend upon for labor. Most of

the subjects indicated the need for moderate to severe improvements concerning the

integration of the top four 21st Century skills at the research site.

Conclusions pertaining to the individual 21st Century skills provided further

information for educators and administrators. Interpersonal communication was rated

the highest skill integrated into research site classrooms and evident in graduate

abilities, with largely good to really good ratings from participant responses. Critical

thinking followed closely with a respondent rating of good to very good, while

information literacy received largely good to really good ratings from subjects. Lastly,

adroit writing was indicated as the 21st Century skill needing the most improvement

at the research site, whereby respondents offered mostly bad to really bad ratings.

The overall respondent standpoint included conclusions pointing toward moderate to

severe needs of inclusive improvement of top four 21st Century skill integration into

the research site classrooms across campus. However, from an individual 21st

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Century skill perspective, the majority of the moderate to severe improvements

needed at the research site lay mostly within the adroit writing skill area and

somewhat within the information literacy area. By contrast, critical thinking and

interpersonal communication skills revealed only moderate to mild improvement needs

at the research site, indicating that administrators and faculty are aware of the issues

and are taking steps to address them.

Several internal and external recommendations pertaining to the post-secondary

business market in the education sector developed. The primary recommendation

focused on internal management of higher academics (administrators and faculty),

their operational processes (curricula and pedagogies), their products (student

graduates) and their end users (21st Century employers). Post-secondary academic

decision makers should be keenly aware of the primary stakeholder group needs.

Understanding how to develop and prepare students with the 21st Century skills

needed to enter and succeed in the modern workplace should be paramount in the

curricula and pedagogy decision making processes of any post-secondary institution

(Trilling & Fadel, 2012). Ideally, administrators and faculty members should integrate

at least top four 21st Century skills into the syllabi and pedagogies of every course

offered across campus. In this manner, students will not only master particular fields

of study, but will also become proficient in practical 21st Century skills. Learners

should not only be assessed in every class on the specific discipline factors, but also

on how to apply these skills in the workplace.

Critical to a 21st Century skill comprehensive integration plan, administrators and

faculty need to clearly define how the institution will integrate, measure and monitor

student mastery of the skills, and how faculty will be supported and rewarded for

developing best 21st Century skill pedagogies. Each academic school and department

on campus should be encouraged to develop detailed goals, assessments, and

predominant 21st Century skill development opportunities pertinent within their

particular fields and student needs as a part of the comprehensive plan (Lehmann,

2009). Complimenting and supporting such a comprehensive 21st Century Skill

integration plan must also involve dedicated, appropriate and approved budget plans

and funding to ensure success. Setting goals and informing stakeholders is a start,

but providing and assigning resources demonstrates the institution is serious about

actual implementation and support (ACTE, 2014; Partnership, 2014; Trilling & Fadel,

2012).

The creation and appointment of a 21st Century Advisory team, including members

from administrative, faculty, student and local employer stakeholder groups should

oversee the comprehensive plan and accompanying budget. The purpose of a 21st

Century Advisory team will be to ensure that action steps are developed

collaboratively and implemented consistently, ideas are generated from varied

stakeholder perspectives, and the team works together to ensure the success of the

overall plan. Implementation data collected by the Advisory team could prove

invaluable for plan growth and long-term sustainability, including end-of-year

reporting and beginning-of-year planning.

Further recommendations include developing professional learning communities (PLCs)

for administrators and faculty members to work collaboratively with employers and

other education stakeholders to continue to keep current on trends and skills

graduates need to be successful in the global workforce. Similarly, local faculty

members and administrators should also attend local business seminars and lectures,

Chamber of Commerce functions, and network in as many local activities as possible

in an effort to keep a pulse on the modern needs of its community stakeholders.

Through these efforts, faculty members will also have the opportunity to directly

practice the 21st Century skills they seek to instill in the eager young minds they

teach. Ultimately, these internal and external recommendations will help higher

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education systems align more effectively with the skills contemporary employers are

seeking in graduates.

The need for additional research in this field is evident. It would be prudent to further

delve into the stakeholder perceptions of the causes of the graduate skill deficiencies.

A quantitative survey would allow researchers to collect, compare and contrast

different strata group responses to close-ended interview questions to delineate

stakeholder perceptions by skills. Current students and recent graduates could also be

included as a critical stakeholder group in future studies. Data triangulation, including

classroom observations, archived material reviews (syllabi, course descriptors), and

notes taken by researchers at administrative and other curricula meetings, could

provide rich data towards findings and conclusions (Shank, 2006). Ultimately, further

study in this area may assist higher education institutions with preparing students to

graduate with the skills and understandings to be successful in the global workplace.

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